North Shore Country Club Golf Course Maintenance

Tree Removal Project

2011-11-30T10:29:00.000-08:00

Following a thorough examination of the Blue and White Nines, the Grounds and Greens Committee identified a total of 53 trees for removal. All trees slated for removal were chosen for one of the following reasons:

Poor Tree Health

Safety Concerns

Creating A Poor Environment For Growing Turf

Playability Issues/Previously Identified In Forse Master Plan

The removal process began in November on the Blue Nine. All work including removal, brush chipping, stump grinding and backfilling has been completed utilizing NSCC staff and equipment. The final seeding of the stump holes will be completed in Spring when conditions allow.

While evergreen trees were the most common tree removed, a few deciduous trees did make the list. The picture above taken following the felling of a willow tree on 3 White illustrates how labor intensive this process is. The diameter of the tree is greater than height of our staff member!

Drainage Projects Complete

2011-11-03T12:10:00.000-07:00

The golf course maintenance staff worked hard throughout the month of October in order to meet our goal of completing all drainage projects by the end of the month. The warm weather and beautiful days often pushed our manpower to its limits as we were often faced with preparing the golf course for play as well as working towards completing the drainage projects.

As was mentioned in the previous blog entry, the fairway drainage projects focused on three major areas. The approach to the green on 2 White received an ample amount of drain line to eliminate the ever present wet conditions in this area. As we exited this drain line across the beginning of the 6th fairway, we took the time to install sufficient drainage to alleviate the wet spots in this area as well. After we finished in this area, we turned our attention to the 7th fairway on the White Nine. This area is always troublesome since it sits below the water level of our irrigation pond. Additionally, very little fall is available to move water from the fairway. After installing the proper amount of drain line to aid this fairway, we used the excavator that we rented to install the culvert pipe to clean out the drainage ditch that slowly allows water to move from this area of the course. Lastly, we turned our attention to what has recently become the most difficult fairway to drain at NSCC--6 Blue. In our most extensive drainage project to date, NSCC staff installed over 2,000 feet of drain line in the fairway, rough, and approach.

Golf Course Improvement Projects

2011-10-07T08:20:00.000-07:00

At the September meeting, the Board of Directors approved two golf course improvement projects as recommended by the Grounds and Greens Committee. The primary focus of these projects is to improve fairway drainage and to properly manage the trees on the golf course. Prior to the recommendation of the projects, the Grounds and Greens Committee spent three hours reviewing both the White and Blue Nines to assess the value of and prioritize the importance of each project. Rest assured that both the drainage projects and the tree removal project closely follow the golf course master plan as created by golf course architect Ron Forse. The tree removal project will begin in late fall and will likely continue into the winter. The drainage projects are currently underway and will be completed using NSCC staff by early November.

The most challenging component of the drainage project is the replacement of the deteriorating culvert pipe which diverts water below the fairway on 7 White following heavy rain and snow melt. The existing pipe was composed of galvanized metal and had been in the ground for over 20 years. Over time, the integrity of the pipe had been compromised and was no longer viable. After heavy rains, excess water would wash underneath the corroded pipe and began washing out the existing grade. The Grounds and Greens committee has taken a proactive approach and decided that replacing the old galvanized pipe with a new dual-wall, 24" inch PVC pipe was the best solution. This new pipe will last much longer than the 20 years that the old pipe lasted.

NSCC's golf course maintenance staff has nearly nearly completed the project. The old pipe was first removed. Staff next trenched the site in preparation for the new and slightly larger pipe, working carefully around existing irrigation pipe and wires. Staff often checked the grade while excavating and preparing the trench to ensure adequate fall. Following the installation of the pipe, the golf course maintenance staff will backfill the trench with gravel and soil. Once the final grade is completed, the golf course maintenance staff will return the sod to the fairway.

The other drainage projects approved by the Board serve to improve the poorly drained fairway areas on 2 White, 7 White, and 6 Blue. The project on 2 White, near the green, is nearly complete. After finishing this project early next week, the golf course maintenance staff will move forward with the drainage installation in the landing area on 7 White. Following aerification and closure of the Blue Nine putting greens on October 17, the golf course maintenance staff will install an extensive drainage system throughout the entire second half of the fairway on 6 Blue. This project will be completed by the end of October.

A Couple Issues With Trees

2011-09-08T10:10:00.000-07:00

NSCC is fortunate to have golf course with an abundance of trees. While playing a round these trees serve multiple purposes. In addition to providing an aesthetically pleasing environment, trees enhance the game of golf by providing strategic value in certain cases. As many members have noticed, some of the trees at NSCC appear less than healthy. In fact, there are two main issues with trees.

The tree above is a Litteleaf Linden. Littleleaf Lindens are located throughout the golf course and are easily identifiable by their pyramidal growth habit. These trees have proven to be a hardy variety and adaptable to NSCC's heavy, clay soils. Currently these trees have fallen prey to the Japanese Beetle. The Japanese Beetle feeds on the leaves of the tree, causing the tree to look less than healthy. This fall, the maintenance staff will treat all Littleleaf Lindens with a preventative insecticide to allow for a healthier tree next season.

The second issue involving the spruce trees at NSCC has been well documented within both the national and local media. The problem is associated around a new herbicide that was released last fall.

Upon its release, this new herbicide was revolutionary in three ways. First, the application rates were significantly lower than any other herbicide previously released. This is a huge benefit to both the applicators and the environment. Secondly, the herbicide is more effective on a broader spectrum of weeds than most other herbicides on the market. Lastly, unlike most herbicides that can only be applied during dry conditions, this herbicide offers the ability to make an application during both wet and dry conditions due to its systemic activity when taken in by plant roots.

Many golf course managers and landscape contractors began applying this herbicide last fall and this spring. We made our application this spring, predominantly on the Blue and White Nines. A few weeks following the application we, as well as other courses around the country, began noticing damage to the new growth on spruce trees. Since that time, some trees have continued to decline while others have remained the same. We currently have 74 spruce trees with varying degrees of damage. Other course within the state have reported anywhere from nominal damage to upwards of 700 trees.

Currently, there are at least two class action law suits filed against the chemical manufacturer. The EPA has also suspended the usage of the herbicide. The chemical manufacturer has opened a hotline for all affected customer and supplied forms to document the damage. Upon the submission of the forms, the manufacturer will send out professional arborists to further document the damage. Once the damage has been documented by the arborists, the manufacturer intends to introduce a plan for removal, replacement, and damage recovery for all those affected by their product.

Preparing For the Heat

2011-07-14T07:53:00.000-07:00

The cornerstone of the maintenance program at NSCC may be most appropriately described as taking all necessary steps to prepare for the heat of the summer. This general tenet may be easily lost on most golfers since Wisconsin summers often seem way to short. In fact, we focus our maintenance practices around preparing the course to withstand the difficult summer conditions that usually occur from July 4th to the middle of August.

Make no mistake that even though we often receive favorable growing conditions for much of the early summer and fall, this six week stretch of weather can be especially brutal. Often times, as turf managers, we see increased disease pressure, soil moisture problems caused by too much or not enough precipitation, equipment and personnel fatigue caused by long days at work, and increased traffic stress caused by golf carts and player traffic to name a few.

In order to overcome these stresses, we tailor our maintenance programs to offset these stresses. Critical maintenance practices such as aerification, sand topdressing, a balanced nutrition program for the turf, preventative application of plant protectants, drainage installation, and irrigation system maintenance highlight some of the inputs required to keep a course in top condition throughout the stressful summer months.

Once we reach this time of year, our practices our evaluated on a daily basis to ensure that all necessary steps are taken to care for the turf at NSCC. Seemingly simple steps such as daily movement of the holes on greens to evenly distribute foot traffic and tweaking of mowing heights on putting surfaces assist in caring for the turf.

As we are about to embark on the hottest stretch of weather to date, the golf course maintenance staff has intensified its preventative maintenance measures. A few examples are highlighted below.

You thought aerification means big holes and bumpy greens? Not true, you probably didn't even notice that we completed an aerification process commonly referred to as "venting" last week. Instead of pulling larger diameter cores, the golf course staff poked the greens with very small, solid tines in order to improve air movement within the soil profile.

In order to combat prolonged periods of dryness, the golf course maintenance staff applied a combination of soil wetting agents which will allow the turf to maximize the amount of water applied to the turf.

In an effort to better analyze which products are best suited and most cost effective, the 5th fairway on the Blue Nine was sprayed with multiple wetting agents. Through continual evaluation we will be best equipped to determine the best product for the dollar on next year's purchases.

Cold And Wet So Far . . .

2011-06-22T11:18:00.000-07:00

The theme for the year so far can be best described as cold and wet. Cold and wet temperatures have prevailed thus far as temperatures have struggled to break 70 degrees on most days so far this season. In addition to frustrating golfers, the weather has also hindered the golf course maintenance staff as well. Critical practices such as aerification, sand topdressing, and most applications of plant protectant materials require dry days with ample sunshine. Fortunately, the cold temperatures have not hurt the course as much as they would in a year in which we were attempting to recover from substantial amounts of winter damage. To be honest, we are thankful that temperatures have remained cool this week since we have received 3.50" inches of rain to date with more predicted over the next couple days. The standing water on fairways becomes temperatures warm into the 80's and the water serves as a magnifying glass that can cook the underlying turf.

We have taken advantage with important tasks such as the core aerification of tees which occurred the week after Memorial Day. The current stretch of wet weather looks to break by the weekend which should allow us to get caught up with mowing, sand topdressing of putting greens, and an application of plant protectant materials on the fairways.

The benefits of fairway drainage become apparent during extended periods of wet weather. Currently the best example of this is on 7 White where additional drainage will be added this fall to complete the fairway.

Solid Tine Aeration On Putting Greens and Fairways

2011-05-09T11:43:00.001-07:00

On Monday, May 2, the golf course maintenance staff completed the critical task of solid-tine aeration of putting greens. The entire process took two full days to complete all 27 holes. While this process does cause a temporary reduction in putting green quality, the benefit to the turf is realized during the high stress periods of the summer.

NSCC's putting greens were built in the mid 1960's. The original soil base consists of a highly organic and mucky soil. This soil does not drain well, which makes ample root growth and development difficult. Over the last twenty years, NSCC's putting surfaces have been religiously topdressed with a fines-free sand which has accumulated to a depth of around four inches. While turf roots thrive in this sandy, well-drained environment, they struggle to penetrate into the mucky layer below. The solid-tine aeration penetrates into this undesirable area and fractures the soil. The fracturing affect creates additional pore space allowing for ample air channels and root development.

Following the solid-tine aeration, the greens were rolled to remove any imperfections and to help close the holes, verticut to stimulate growth and recovery, topdressed with sand to further smooth the surface, swept to stand and long leaf blades upright prior to mowing and to incorporate the sand into the turf canopy, and finally mowed. After mowing, a combination of liquid and granular fertilizers were applied to accelerate recovery.

In a similar manner, the solid-tine aeration of fairways is also underway. Larger diameter tines are used in fairways, but the overall affect on playability is minimal. In no time, the fairways will have recovered and prepared to endure the onset of summer stress.

A Picture Worth At Least A Thousand Words

2011-04-23T07:51:00.001-07:00

Quite simply, drainage is one of the most critical elements necessary to obtain quality turf conditions on a golf course. The picture above, taken of the 7 White fairway, highlights this point. The portion of fairway displayed in the picture is taken from the dog leg looking back to the tee. As most members can surely attest, this portion of the fairway is historically a wet area as it is a low-lying area that actually sits below the water level of the adjacent pond. Golf course maintenance team members would be quick to point out that this area is also a very difficult area to manage due to the problems associated with excess water.

During the colder months of the year, water regularly accumulates in this area during freeze-thaw cycles which occur throughout our Wisconsin winters. The concern over potential winter damage in this area is common due to ice formation which often times leads to significant turf loss. This area also proves difficult to manage during the summer, as excessive moisture leads to saturated root systems which lack sufficient oxygen and increased disease pressure.

Ultimately this are is addressed in the Golf Course Master Plan as presented by Ron Forse. Upon completion, this fairway area will be raised and significant subsurface drainage will be added. Since the time frame for the implementation of the Master Plan has been extended, the golf course maintenance staff added drainage to this area in the fall of 2010. The golf course maintenance staff utilized only our remaining inventory of supplies to complete as much drainage as possible without overextending our budget.

Following winter, one can easily see the benefits of the drainage to this area. The turf in the areas surrounding the drainage remains in good condition, while the areas of the fairway further from the drainage, the forefront of the picture, have suffered areas of damage due to ice accumulation. The golf course maintenance staff plans to revisit this area in the fall, adding additional drainage in areas where ice accumulated over the winter.

Dedication!

2011-04-19T10:55:00.001-07:00

Even after being given the option of taking the rest of the afternoon off, a few dedicated staff members decided to stay and complete the tasks they were working on, even in the midst of what is hopefully winter's last hurrah. The golf course remains in good shape, even in the midst of conditions that more closely mirror those of early March. The wintry mix that we are currently experiencing poses no threat to the health of the turf. The biggest impact it has on our Spring planning. Cold and wet weather slows down the growth rate of the turf, lowers soil temperatures, and makes golf course access difficult. Once warm weather returns, or rather begins, the golf course staff will once again resume with our early season maintenance practices.

Putting Green Maintenance Begins

2011-04-15T07:15:00.000-07:00

The warmer weather of last week was well received by both golfers and the maintenance staff alike. While many members were able to take advantage of the recent spring weather by playing a few rounds, the golf course staff initiated a couple of key practices in our intensive putting green maintenance program.

Days which are both dry and sunny lend themselves to the successful implementation of both vertical mowing and sand topdressing the putting surfaces. While these practices may be completed independent of one another, the completion of both practices in conjunction with one another serves improves the quatlity of the putting on a number of different fronts. The labor intensive process includes:

Vertical mowing in two directions at 1/8" deep and perpendicular to one another which removes thatch and other organic material

Removal of the debris created during this process

Sand topdressing

Sweeping the sand into the turf canopy

Mowing the greens following the sweeping process in order to ensure a smooth surface

The vertical mowing serves both to remove organic matter from the putting greens as well as to stimulate growth on the plants that have just begun to grow. The removal of organic matter ensures a firmer putting surface, while at the same time maintaining the proper water and air movement throughout the turf canopy. As you can see in the picture, a significant amount of material is removed during this process. On average an entire utility vehicle full of organic matter is generated per putting green. The new growth stimulated during this process allows the turf to more quickly cover any remaining aerification holes and other imperfections which may exist following winter.

Sand topdressing also helps to provide a firm and smooth putting surface, while at the same time further diluting the amount of organic matter in a putting green. When this light application of sand occurs immediately following vertical mowing, the sand readily fills the small grooves created by the vertical mowing and very easily penetrates the turf canopy.

Sweeping the greens forces the sand into the groves and also stands the turf upright. A final mowing following the sweep removes these long blades of grainy turf and provides a uniform height of cut and smoother ball roll.

When the weather cooperates, the golf course maintenance staff on Mondays which are golf course maintenance day. Since the course is closed until noon on Mondays, the golf course staff completes this process without disrupting play.

Golf Course To Open Saturday

2011-04-06T06:25:00.000-07:00

Since the prolonged winter appears poised to leave the Milwaukee area, the golf course is slated to open on Saturday morning. Eighteen holes will be available for play as both the Red and White nines will open. While this week's wet weather has hindered the golf course maintenance staff's ability to get work done on the course, it certainly hasn't dampened our enthusiasm as we quickly approach the beginning to the 2011 season. I am very pleased to report the course is in great condition following the winter. Upon opening, you will notice the putting greens and tees are free from any areas of significant winter damage. The fairways also have weathered the winter extremely well. Only very small areas of damage exist. These areas, with some encouragement by the maintenance crew, should heal quickly upon the arrival of better growing conditions.

The golf course maintenance staff is in the process of preparing the course for our opening day on Saturday. Since the course is very wet and tender, the maintenance team must complete all work without the use of golf carts and utility vehicles. To date we have completed repair and raking of nearly half of the bunkers on the Red and White nines. All debris has been raked up on the golf course. The debris will be collected once the golf course is dry enough to support vehicular traffic.

Prior to Saturday, bunker rakes and tee accessories will be hauled out to the course. On Thursday, we plan to mow all putting greens for the first time of the year. While the first mowing is completed at a higher height, the affect of the procedure will provide smoother putting upon opening. Please remember that the turf has only begun to show signs of growth at this point. Take care to exercise great caution upon embarking on your first rounds of the year at NSCC. As always, take the time to replace divots and repair ballmarks. See you on the course!

Cold Weather Slows Course Opening

2011-03-28T12:40:00.000-07:00

The combination of last week's cold temperatures and this week's predicted cold weather has caused the golf course to take a step backward. In order for the golf course to open, we must first be certain that all frost has left the ground. Traffic on frozen turf and soil, even foot traffic from golfers, can cause a significant amount of damage to the plants themselves. The turf at NSCC is very susceptible to damage at this point in the year. Until the plants are once again growing, they are unable to recover from any damage that they may receive from play. The golf course maintenance staff is eagerly watching the forecast in anticipation of course opening. To date, our activities on the golf course have been limited due to the frozen conditions. While some course clean-up has been completed, much work remains to get done. As the frost leaves the ground, the golf course maintenance staff will begin preparing the course for opening. Activities such as bunker repair cannot be completed until the bunkers are free from snow and the sand is no longer frozen.

The picture above helps to illustrate how fragile turf can be when the ground is frozen and the plants have not yet begun to grow. The brown tire tracks are clearly distinguishable in the photo taken of 8 Blue fairway. While the picture was taken recently, the damage was done in December when we applied black sand to fairways in order to melt the ice. Imagine for a moment the potential damage that could occur should golfers be allowed to walk on frozen fairways, tees, and putting surfaces. This picture not only illustrates how the decision to remove ice should not be taken lightly, but also how sensitive the turf can be during the winter and early spring. Many areas such as this exist throughout the course which will be noticeable upon course opening. In most cases this damage seems superficial and the turf should quickly recover following a couple weeks of growth.

As the forecast indicates, temperature appear to warm significantly toward the end of next week. These temperatures coupled with the hard work of the golf course maintenance staff will allow us to open the course as soon as we are able. Both I and the turf thank you for your patience.

Strong Start to 2011

2011-03-21T12:01:00.001-07:00

Throughout last winter, many stories were shared by golf course superintendents about the horrific growing conditions of 2010. While most stories revolved around the challenging summer conditions due to excessive rains followed by high temperatures and excessive humidity, golf course maintenance staff employees and members of NSCC are well aware that the challenges of 2010 began as the snow first receded from the course. The melting snow revealed significant turf damage due to excessive ice coverage and flash freezes following rainfall.

The most common question of 2011, asked by NSCC members and maintenance staff personnel alike, is "how's the course looking?" I had been hesitant to give a definitive answer to this question, even though everything has been looking very good to date. Nearly all the ice formed in December had melted and snow had covered the course on a mostly consistent basis for the remainder of the winter. Both of these outcomes lend themselves to healthy turf in the spring.

Even though environmental conditions worked mostly in our favor, I was hesitant to give a definitive response for two reasons. First of all, one of the most common plant protectant products used to prevent fungal activity beneath the snow was removed from the market in 2010. The lack of availability of this product caused us to use a new product for the prevention of these pathogens. After lengthy analysis of university research and further cost analysis, we selected a combination of products that appeared to meet our needs. Since 2010 was the first year we applied this product, I was concerned about its efficacy, even though all research had indicated it should function well. At this point, I am pleased to report that the combination of products which we applied has exceeded expectations, allowing for nearly 100% control of winter pathogens. The second reason I was hesitant to predict the courses condition is due to the fact that the course is ever-changing. While the course appeared to be healthy throughout the winter, poor conditions in spring were still possible. A rain event, followed by a hard freeze could still present problems, although the likelihood for this decreases with each day. A moderate rise in temperatures, without extreme fluctuations in temperature, provide the turf at NSCC the greatest opportunity for survival and viability in the days to come.

Currently, I am very pleased with what I have seen following multiple walking tours of the course. The putting surfaces and tees have survived the winter with almost no damage at this point. The fairways are well above average. There appear to be no widespread areas of damage. There may be some small areas of damage in fairway depressions where minor areas of ice accumulation occurred. Currently, the course could use a gradual increase in temperatures to get the turf started out right. Once all frost has left the ground and the soil has dried enough to support foot traffic, we will open the course for play.

Taking Advantage Of Warmer Weather

2011-03-21T11:48:00.000-07:00

After spending most of the winter inside, the golf course maintenance staff is thrilled to be working outside. Last week's warmer temperatures afforded us the first taste of spring-like weather of the year. In addition to melting most of the remaining snow, the sunny days allowed us to install a new roof on rain shelter on 7 Blue tee prior to the ground becoming too soft for equipment passage. While this shelter, and its sister on 2 White, are not the most beautiful structures on the course, they have provided many golfers safe refuge from multiple storms over the course of the past summers. Years of exposure to inclement weather had left the roof of the shelter in terrible condition. Late last fall, many shingles were blown from the shelter, exposing the rotting roof below. The maintenance staff did a great job replacing the roof, ensuring that the shelter will remain serviceable for years to come.

So Far, So Good

2011-02-16T08:07:00.000-08:00

The last few days of relatively warm temperatures have allowed for the snow to snow to slowly dissipate throughout the golf course. Areas of the course which had previously been covered by 14" of snow have been reduced to about 6". To date most greens and fairways remain snow covered, while higher, wind swept mounds are now free from snow. I have extensively toured the golf course over the last couple of days in order to more closely examine the condition of the turf. Since most fairways and greens are still covered in snow, I removed snow from areas which are typically susceptible to winter damage. At this point, I am pleased to report nearly all of the turf which I uncovered looks healthy. We can thank the warm temperatures that we received around New Year's Eve and Day. As was mentioned earlier, nearly all of the ice was melted during this time. The turf looks undamaged and free from all potential pathogens which can cause damage during prolonged periods of snow cover. At this point, the plant protectant materials which were applied last November appear to be doing their job very well. Small representative samples are a good way to determine if there appears to be large areas of damage, but as always, I will reserve final judgement until larger areas of turf are exposed. A gradual spring warm up will suit us best, as damage may still occur due to extreme temperature fluctuations, but so far, so good.

The Blizzard Of 2011 Hits NSCC...What About the Turf?

2011-02-03T07:03:00.001-08:00

As was discussed in the previous entry, NSCC was saved from another potentially disastrous spell of winter damage when nearly 100% of the ice melted on New Year's Eve. Ice damage is often the most devasting and uncontrollable type of winter damage we face at NSCC.

Since the time of the melt, NSCC had received a few small snow showers, enough to provide sufficient snow cover to insulate the turf from the freezing temperatures that we often realize in the Milwaukee area. Without snow cover, the exposed turfgrass plants are susceptible to drying out over the winter. This winter drying, or dessication, is common in areas of little snow cover where cold and dry winter winds whip across the turf surface. The front of the green on 7 White is an area where this may typically occur at NSCC due to the high elevation and exposed face of the green.

After touring the golf course following the blizzard conditions of the last couple days, it appears that the 18-plus inches of snow we received stayed put in most areas to prevent large scale dessication injury to the turf. While many of the bluegrass mounds located on green surrounds and bunker complexes are now exposed following the 30 mile per hour winds, the putting surfaces remain well covered. The golf course is truly beautiful right now, appearing more like a lunar surface than a country club. In same places, the snow has drifted over six feet high!

Winter Thaw Provides Relief To NSCC Turf ... This Time.

2011-01-14T06:07:00.001-08:00

The near 60 degree temperatures we experienced on New Year's Eve in the Milwaukee area certainly provided the opportunity for relief from the ice which had encapsulated most fairways at NSCC. On December 12, NSCC received over and inch of rain followed by temperatures that quickly dipped below freezing. These falling temperatures, coupled with already frozen ground, did not allow for adequate drainage of the rain water prior to the formulation of ice on nearly all of our fairways. At best, we were looking at another spring such as last year where winter damage related to ice formation was wide spread throughout NSCC. Remember our fairways consist of a combination of creeping bentgrass and annual bluegrass (Poa annua). Poa annua is much less receptive to ice coverage and may experience substantial turf loss after only 60 days of coverage. Since the ice formed early in the season, we were likely to have ice coverage for a period which far exceeded the 60 day window.

The solutions to ice formation on turf during winter in northern climates vary greatly and are widely debated among turfgrass professionals. On smaller areas, such as putting greens, ice may be removed by hand. This tedious process can save turf, however, physical damge may occur during the removal process. The simple act of walking on semi-frozen turf may cause more damage than the ice itself. The act of physically removing pieces of ice may cause root shearing and physical damge due to the frozen state of the turf. Sometimes the act of removal may cause more extensive damage than what would have occured simply due to the ice formation.

Ice removal from fairways is even more difficult, especially at NSCC. Since many of our fairways are low-lying, they are highly susceptible to ice formation. If a thick blanket of snow exists, ice removal is almost impossible. In the process of removing the snow to gain access to the ice, we must either plow or snow blow from the iced-over areas. This process creates mounds of snow, or dams, which makes water evacuation even more difficult.

6" Ice on 7White Fairway, Following Black Sand Application

Fortunately, we had very little snow following the ice formation in December, making the ice very accessible. Within one week of the ice formation, the golf course maintenance staff applied 10 tons of black sand to the iced fairways. The black sand warms quickly due to solar radiation and weakens the ice. Even if the ice is not completely melted, the sand can create channels allowing for air exchange and reduce the potential for turf loss due to suffication. Remember, we need sun for this process to work. Without sun, the black sand will just remain on top of the ice and not penetrate within.

Even though the golf course staff made the sand application, cold temperatures and limited sun had provided only marginal improvement in reducing the ice. Fortunately, mother nature assisted us by providing a thaw on New Year's Eve. While often times a thaw can prove disastrous for turf due to refreezing of water, this winter's thaw was so extreme it allowed for a complete removal of ice from the golf course. So intense was the thaw, that the frost actually lifted from the upper two inches of the soil. The lack of frost allowed both for ample water absorption and moderate drain line function. These two processes accounted for almost complete removal of the water prior to refreeze. Since this time, NSCC has been topped off with a few inches of snow to act as an insulating blanket for the turf. This blanket of snow should provide adequate protection for the turf from freezing conditions. While we are not through with winter yet, we can all sleep a little easier knowing that we no longer have significant ice cover on our golf course

7 White Fairway Following Thaw

6 Blue Fairway Following Thaw--6" Ice Gone!

NSCC Drainage Project Highlighted In GCI Magazine Article

2011-01-03T11:32:00.000-08:00

The December issue of Golf Course Industry magazine, a leading industry publication, highlights NSCC's successful putting green drainage project that was completed in October 2010. The article entitled "Don't Lose Out To Poor Drainage" reviews the project which was completed by golf course contractor Golf Preservations. The article describes the three-year project at North Shore along with a similar project at Toronto Golf Club. Several pictures of the project, as well as a photo of NSCC's practice green (up close and personal following seeding), are featured in the article.
Click here or the picture above to view the article in its entirety.

Winter Thaw Ushers In Potential For Ice At NSCC

2010-12-30T07:03:00.000-08:00

The upcoming weather forecast calls for a winter thaw with temperatures approaching fifty degrees and the potential for significant rainfall. Should these conditions actually occur, the potential for ice formation on the golf course is likely. Since the ground is frozen, the only means for water removal in the winter months is through surface drainage. The golf course maintenance staff has worked diligently this week to prepare the putting greens for water accumulation due to rainfall and snow melt. Over the last couple days, crew members have cleared the snow, which acts as a natural dam, from the low points of all putting greens. Should we receive rain in the next couple of days, the water will have clear paths to exit the putting greens and minimize any formation of ice on the greens themselves.

Improving Turf Conditions and Playability On 9 White Green

2010-11-24T08:51:00.000-08:00

Ice Damage Due to Shade Problems 9 White Green

The rear of 9 White green has historically been a difficult area to manage turf. The overabundance of Spruce trees in close proximity to the green not only inhibits morning sunlight, but also provides golfers with the potential for an unplayable lie for many balls that come to rest through the green. As many golfers are playing longer irons or even fairway woods on the this long, uphill par 4, many balls do not come to rest on the putting surface and instead find their way beneath the spruce trees which are only four yards from the back of the green.

Rear of 9 White Following Removal

The problems associated with the shade of these trees are two fold. First, the trees inhibit morning sunlight which is essential for healthy turf development. Secondly, the shade created by the trees promotes an environment which is conducive for annual bluegrass growth (Poa annua) rather than creeping bentgrass. Poa annua is a weaker grass which is more susceptible to both winter damage and summer stress. Historically, in years when ice coverage is prevalent, 9 White has suffered significant turf loss.

Five large spruce trees have been removed from the rear of 9 White green. All five trees were located to the north of the cart path. The area containing multiple spruce trees to the south of the path remain, as they have little impact on the shade problems associated with the green. All of the trees removed were approved in the Forse Master Plan. When playing the hole from the fairway, the remaining trees will continue to provide a back drop for the hole while still deterring errant shots from the first hole on the Blue Nine.

9 White Before Removal

9 White Following Removal

Taking Advantage Of The Warm and Dry Weather

2010-11-12T08:05:00.000-08:00

This week's beautiful weather afforded the golf course maintenance staff the opportunity to complete some very important fall projects on schedule. Warmer than normal day temperatures coupled with low winds provided us with perfect conditions to make our preventative snow mold fungicide applications. This application is essential in northern climates which see periods of prolonged snow cover. Multiple products are applied in order to protect the turf from two main pathogens. Each product yields its own mode of action to afford the plant the maximum amount of protection. Since the plants are still actively growing due to the warm weather, the turf is easily able to take in the material and translocate the products throughout the plant. All greens, tees, and fairways are now equipped to defend themselves from winter disease.

The warm weather has also provided the golf course maintenance staff to complete one final drainage project. One of the wettest areas on the golf course is the landing area on 7 White fairway. Topographically this is a difficult area to drain since the the fairway actually sits below the irrigation pond's level. There is also very little elevation change to the east of the fairway. Extensive drainage was added to this area in order to move water off of the fairway and into the native area to the west of the hole. This will both improve turf quality in this area, as well as playability.

4 Blue Fairway Drainage Improvements

2010-11-04T06:58:00.000-07:00

As the golf course maintenance staff tends to the tasks associated with preparing the course for winter, our attention once again focuses on improving drainage on the golf course. This year, we will install new drainage on the the 4th fairway of the Blue Nine. The existing drainage in this area no longer functioned properly. Tree roots and other debris had rendered the existing drain line useless. The golf course staff will add drainage through the low point of the fairway near the first fairway bunker and down the left side of the fairway. The water will exist the course to the tree line on the east side of the property. In addition to improving turf quality and playability, the fairway will be passable much more quickly following heavy rain events. The project will be completed by the weekend.

Nursery Green Reestablishment

2010-10-26T11:52:00.000-07:00

As you have played the White Nine, many of you have noticed the sizable nursery to the north of the sixth green. The 10,000 ft2 nursery is an important piece to our maintenance plan. The nursery was carefully constructed in 2007 to match the soil characteristics of the putting greens at NSCC. The matching soil properties serve to minimize transplant stress when repairing damaged greens or expanding greens or roll off areas during renovation. Additionally, the golf course maintenance staff utilized the nursery to replace fairway turf which was damaged due to excess water during the wet and hot summer of 2010. Each fall the golf course staff must do all we can to replace the sod that was harvested throughout the season. In order to accomplish this, we harvest the aerification cores from our putting greens. The cores are spread evenly throughout the desired area. Following the application of the cores, a light sand topdressing is applied to level the surface. The area is then seeded, rolled, fertilized, and watered to stimulate rapid growth and recovery. The end product is a variety of turf species which are essentially a clone of our existing greens. The mixture of creeping bentgrasses and annual bluegrasses mimic our putting surfaces making for a smooth transition should the turf be needed for repair or renovation work in the future. The background of the picture illustrates the established nursery, while the foreground depicts the portion of the nursery which has recently been repaired.

Fall Fairway Maintenance

2010-10-13T09:11:00.001-07:00

The fall season is a very busy time on the golf course at NSCC. Both golfers and golf course maintenance personnel attempt to squeeze as much as possible out of the beautiful days that autumn brings our way. Each fall, the golf course maintenance staff begins to prepare the course for the upcoming season. As golf course managers, we put into place many agronomic practices which afford the golf course the necessary inputs to recover from summer stresses, repair damaged soil conditions, and reduce the potential from turf loss and damage over the long Wisconsin winter. Each area of the golf course has a comprehensive plan which includes, but is not limited to nutrition (fertilizer), aerification, and pest control.

We are currently in the process of addressing these needs on all areas of the golf course, while at the same time performing the required maintenance practices for daily play. One of the most time consuming turf areas to manage are the golf course fairways. Other than the rough, the fairways are the largest surface area we manage, totalling more than 44 acres.

The most important aspect of fall fairway maintenance is fall aerification. Prior to 2008, all fairways were core aerified. This process involved removing soil cores, drying the cores, pulverizing the cores, dragging the fragmented cores back into the holes, and then blowing off the remaining debris. This process did a wonderful job of alleviating soil compaction and reducing the amount of thatch, the organic layer just below the turf canopy, but was messy and impeded play for a considerable amount of time following, especially during wet conditions.

In 2008, we modified our fairway aerification procedure to a solid tine process. This process works well, by allowing us to penetrate 4 inches deeper into the soil than we were able to. The solid tine approach also serves to lessen the negative affect aerification has on the overall golfing experience. The downside to the solid tine aerication is its inability to reduce thatch. Excess thatch may lead to multiple problems in the future which include increased disease prevalence, mower scalping, and overall weaker turf. In order to address these concerns, we have proactively implemented an aggressive fairway verticutting practice. The tractor-mounted vertical mower uses multiple cutting disks to slice into the turf and remove a considerable amount of the organic material. While the process itself is messy, it is relatively simple and easy to clean up. The picture above illustrates the process in action. Once the organic debris is brought to the surface, it is blown off and collected. The fairway is never taken out of play and our goal of reducing organic matter has been accomplished. In summary, instead of pulling solid, clay cores from our fairways, our aerification process is now two-fold. The fairways are punched with solid tines to alleviate soil compaction and verticut to remove organic matter, both processes present less disruption to play while meeting our agronomic goals.

6 Blue Green Contour Changes Sneak Peak

2010-09-22T08:37:00.000-07:00

Golf course architect, Ron Forse, was at NSCC on September 23 to direct the contour changes made to both 3 and 6 Blue putting greens. The changes on 3 Blue are subtle, basically reducing the severe slope on the rear left of the green. The changes lend themselves nicely to the overall master plan when it is implemented in the future. The changes on 6 Blue are considerably more dramatic and will have a significant impact on putting when the Blue Course opens again in the spring of 2011.

The picture above was taken from the rear of the green while looking back toward the fairway. The green was altered in 3 different locations. The elevation changes are similar to those on 2 and 5 White, which were completed last fall. I have attempted to highlight the affected areas by designating their perimeter with a red line. The yellow areas represent the fall lines associated with each location. As you can see, what was previously a relatively flat green which fell from the back to the front is now much more complex. Accuracy while hitting into the green will be of the utmost importance on this par four.

Golf Preservations, under Ron Forse's supervision, completed the project in conjunction with the internal drainage installation of the green. The labor intensive project involved stripping the sod, adding a custom blend of fill which closely matches our existing soil conditions, compacting the newly added soil, and replacing the sod in the exact location from which it was removed. The golf course maintenance staff is charged with growing in the turf to ensure that it will put smoothly upon opening in the spring.

Drainage Installation Underway On Blue 9 Greens

2010-09-10T12:09:00.001-07:00

The drainage installation is well underway on the Blue Nine putting greens. This is the final phase of the overall green drainage program which began in 2008 on the Red Nine. The White Nine was completed last year. I have been extremely impressed by both the improved performance of the greens following the installation of the drainage as well as the excellent workmanship done by Golf Preservations. Samson Bailey, owner of Golf Preservations, has been on site for the installation of each green at NSCC.

The installation process is a time consuming and labor intensive endeavor. I have included a simplified version of the process through the following photographs.

First, the entire putting surface must be meticulously mapped with a laser level to account for all undulations and contours. Once this process is complete, the overall drainage template is designed for the green.

Once the drainage pattern is established, the actual trenches for the drain lines are cut. Prior to trenching, the sod is carefully removed and cataloged so that each individual sod piece will be placed in exactly the same location following the back filling of the trenches. This will allow the sod lines to blend into the rest of the green, rendering them unrecognizable upon completion of the project.

After the drain lines have been installed, the trenches must be filled in a resodded. The trenches are filled with a custom mix of sand which closely mimics our existing sand in our greens. This is critical as poorly chosen sand will not allow the greens to function properly. When back filling the trenches, Golf Preservations takes great pride to ensure that the material is sufficiently compacted within the trench to minimize settling. In order to accomplish this, the hand tamp and four different levels for each foot of back fill material added. Talk about manual labor!

The last step of the process involves replaces and tamping the sod. The photograph above was taken one day after the installation was complete. In only a couple 0f weeks the seams will be barely noticeable. Stay tuned, as next week I will detail why the drainage project is an essential part of our overall greens maintenance program at NSCC.

Why Is The Practice Green Closed?

2010-09-08T06:13:00.000-07:00

The golf course maintenance staff aerified the practice green on September 7th. While the putting greens performed well overall this season, even through the difficult weather of this past summer, the practice putting green was placed under excessive stress. Simply due to its nature, almost everyone who plays a round of golf first puts on the green, the practice green is placed under extreme traffic stress on an annual basis. High levels of traffic stress lead to soil compaction and turf thinning. In order to offset this damage, the golf course maintenance staff aerified the putting green prior to the aerification of the rest of the greens in regulation.

Following aerification, the practice green was also seeded. The intent of the seeding is to introduce more desirable creeping bentgrass into the putting surface, rather than the less desirable annual blue grass, or Poa annua. The variety a bentgrass chosen for the green exhibits a greater ability to withstand the traffic that this green absorbs. Introducing new seed into an established stand of turf is a time consuming and labor intensive process. Following aerification, all cores were collected and the holes were then filled with sand. After the holes were filled, the surface was then sliced in two directions, creating a 1/8" furrow. Following the creation of the furrows, the greens were seeded with the new bentgrass variety. The greens were then swept, incorporating the seed into both the aerification holes and furrows. Lastly, the putting green was fertilized by both granular and liquid fertilizers to encourage rapid recovery and seedling growth. The putting green will reopen for member use on September 24. We ask that all members refrain from walking on the green until this time. By eliminating all foot traffic, the seedlings will stand the best chance of survival, thereby providing an improved putting surface next season. The finished product is shown below.

Much Ado About Dew

2010-09-02T09:51:00.000-07:00

While playing an early morning round of golf, you have probably noticed that the fairways are often lacking dew. This observation is not just a random occurrence, but rather a planned maintenance practice on the golf course. Of course dew reduction lends itself to dry feet and pant bottoms, but also plays an integral part of our disease management strategy at NSCC. Most people think of dew as only water condensation on the turf's leaves, similar to what one might find on their car in the early morning hours. While it is true that some of the moisture on the leaves of the turf is due to condensation, the rest of the moisture is secreted by the plant. This moisture is called guttation fluid.

Guttation fluid is a sugary substance which contains multiple organic and inorganic compounds. When guttation fluid is left on the turfgrass for extended periods, a moist environment is produced which, as research indicates, lends itself to fungal activity. During peak periods of disease pressure, the maintenance staff at NSCC will intentionally remove the dew by mowing in the early morning or by dragging a dew removal device over the fairways. You might think of this as a natural approach to both limit disease activity and reduce costs associated with fungicide applications. Of course, no system is without fault. Often times when dragging the fairways to remove the dew, divots which had been replaced can be removed from their intended location. As always, it is a day to day decision on whether to remove the dew or to allow the sunlight to burn it off.

Fall 2010 Aerification Schedule

2010-08-24T05:41:00.000-07:00

Please take some time to review the following aerification schedule and note that the time frame for putting green aerification has been altered slightly from previous years. The reasons for this change are twofold. First of all, this past summer's extreme heat, humidity, and moisture have taken their toll on the plants which comprise the putting surfaces at NSCC. Most importantly we will reduce the amount of organic material in our greens through core aerification. By aerifying earlier in the fall, we will also alleviate the affects of stress and encourage rapid turf recovery. Secondly, by "punching" the greens in late September rather than mid-October, we will take advantage of the warmer soil temperatures in the fall. These warmer soil temperatures coupled with moderate air temperatures should allow for quicker recovery and higher quality putting surfaces in the spring of 2011.

2010 Fall Aerification Schedule

Tees: September 7th
Practice Green: September 7th
South Practice Tee: September 13th
Red/White Greens: September 28th
Blue Greens: October following drainage installation

Please note that the grass surface of the South Practice Tee will be closed for the remainder of the 2010 golf season following aerification. The tee will require extensive seeding, and without ample recovery time, will not be ready for the 2011 season. The North Practice Tee grass surface and the South Practice Tee artificial surface will remain open for use.

Also, the practice putting green will be closed for two weeks following aerification. Following aerification, the golf course maintenance staff will be seeding a desirable bentgrass variety into the putting surface. We ask that all members refrain from walking on the putting surface until it reopens on September 24.

Too Much Of A Good Thing

2010-07-23T08:43:00.000-07:00

Rain, rain, go away! While it's true that a well timed rainfall or even thunderstorm can provide to much a drought-stricken golf course, too much rain can spell disaster for golf course turf. Since last week, NSCC has received over 6 inches of rain on top of an already wet year. To put this in perspective, the automated irrigation system has only been utilized 4 times since June, whereas in a normal year it is utilized, at least on a limited basis, almost nightly. What happens when to the grass when it rains too much?

Drowning. When grass receives too much water, the delicate balance between air and water in the soil is skewed. When water replaces the oxygen, the turfgrass roots begin to die back, and, in some cases, cause the plant to die.

Disease. Most turgrass disease thrive in hot and wet conditions. Even though we treat greens, tees, and fairways on a preventative basis with a variety of plant protectant products, already wet and weakened turfgrass becomes extremely susceptible to a variety of diseases which may result in death to turfgrass plants.

Drought Stress. Once the rain leaves and dry conditions resume, the turf plants, and especially their root systems, are left in a very vulnerable state. The root die-back, caused by saturated soils, reduces the length of the roots to an inch or less. This means that as soon the top inch of soil begins to dry out, the plants run the risk of dying due to lack of water.

The golf course maintenance staff has been extremely busy this very wet and warm summer. Not only do the bunkers need to be continually pumped and repaired, the turf requires extra attention as well. In order to minimize the adverse affects of excess water, the grounds and greens staff will remove excess water from the course via pumps and squeegees, make additional applications of plant protectant materials, and even utilize fans and blowers to promote drying to especially sensitive areas of the course. The most important thing that we, as turf managers, can do now is to take a cautious approach. Right now, fast greens and golf carts take a back seat to prudent and conservative management. Once the difficult stretch of weather ends, we will once again strive to provide fast greens and improved golfer accessibility to the course.

4 Red Green Vandalism Repair Ongoing

2010-07-20T11:19:00.000-07:00

As most of you are now aware, the 4th green on the Red Nine sustained a significant amount of damage due to vandalism on June 25. The putting surface was punctured multiple times with the flagstick, profanity was applied with spray paint, and a herbicide was also dumped on the turf. The golf course staff immediately repaired the puncture wounds and plugged out the spray painted profanity. Since the time of the incident, the golf course maintenance staff has been carefully assessing the condition of the portion of the green treated with herbicide. In order to minimize disruption to the putting surface, sodding was deemed to be the least desirable option to repair the damage. Unfortunately, the hot weather of June and July did not lend itself for turf recovery. Instead, the marginal areas of the putting surface continued to decline. On July 20th, the maintenance staff replaced the damaged portions of the green with sod from our nursery. Following the removal of the damaged turf, the grade was carefully leveled by hand and new sod was installed and watered. The finished product was then flattened by using a plate compactor. Even though the maintenance staff members completed the project with extreme care, the final product will provide a less than desirable putting surface for a time. Not only will the sod seams take time to fill, it is nearly impossible to mimic the subtleties of a putting surface to perfection. When you consider that the putting surfaces are mowed at less than 1/8 inch, some scalping is inevitable, even when the green is mowed at a slightly higher height. Please be sure to see the pro shop in order to play the green in a way that is consistent with the rules of golf.

Venting Putting Greens Completed

2010-07-07T09:03:00.000-07:00

The golf course maintenance staff successfully "vented" all 29 putting greens on Tuesday, July 6. The practice of venting is a very labor-intensive practice of solid tine (no cores) aerification which is completed over the summer months causing only a minimal disruption to play. The golf course maintenance staff utilized 1/8" solid tines which were spaced on 2" centers and entered the ground to a 3" depth. This practice allows the greens to "breath" during the hot and humid summer months. The timing was perfect this year as we are currently in the midst of a streak of extremely hot and humid days. The holes created in the greens open up channels for improved air exchange, enabling the greens to perform as they were intended following the implementation of the practice. After the small holes were created by a self-propelled aerifier, the greens were immediately rolled to smooth any turfgrass tufting that occurred as a result of the practice. The greens were playable immediately following the venting procedure, and the small holes will be almost imperceptible by the weekend.

World Cup 2010

2010-06-25T08:21:00.000-07:00

As an avid soccer fan, I have been anxiously awaiting the beginning of the FIFA World Cup 2010. Like myself, many members of the golf course maintenance staff share the same affinity for the game. Unfortunately, since the game are being played in South Africa, the game times conflict with our work schedule. In order to boost team moral, we were able to borrow the projector and screen from the clubhouse to show some of the games at the maintenance facility. The screen was set up in the shop and we captured the streaming video from the internet. Staff members were very appreciative of the opportunity to watch some football over their lunch break. My thanks go out to the clubhouse staff for lending the equipment to make this possible while they were not in use.

Golf Course Maintenance Staff In Action

2010-06-25T07:59:00.000-07:00

The picture above captures the golf course maintenance staff in action on a beautiful day while preparing the course for Men's District play on June 22. For special events such as this, the entire maintenance staff is put into action in order to prepare the course prior to the event or tournament. Since Men's District is comprised of tee times, the maintenance staff prepares all holes in consecutive order to stay ahead of play. While taking this picture I could not be impressed by the amount of manpower required to prepare the golf course for play on a daily basis. Since the maintenance staff does its best to work behind the scenes in order to not adversely affect play, most golfers are not able to appreciate the scope of the golf course operation. At times, the organization of all the equipment and personnel can be a daunting task. This can be especially true at a 27 hole golf course where shotgun starts and multiple starting nines are the norm. This picture only represents a portion of the entire maintenance operations. Seen in this picture are tee mowers, fairway mowers, rough mowers, green mowers, approach mowers, and bunker rakes. Not seen are green rollers, course set-up personell, intermediate rough mowers, aerifiers, sprayers, sand topdressers, sweepers, and various other seasonal pieces of equipment. The successful completion of these tasks requires significant training, scheduling, and detail-oriented equipment and cutting unit maintenance. When these actions are coordinated successfully, a wonderfully maintained golf course is produced. I snapped the serene picture below while looking back to the fairway from 7 White green.

Crabgrass? No, Creeping Bentgrass.

2010-06-11T12:07:00.001-07:00

By now, most NSCC members have had numerous opportunities to play the course, and have seen, first hand, the remarkable progress the fairways have made in their recovery from the damaged sustained over the winter. Even the fairways which were most severely damaged are only weeks away from mid-season form.

Without planning, hard work, and a warm spring, this rapid recovery would have been impossible. While the warm spring temperatures fostered a near perfect environment for seed germination and establishment, they also stimulated the undamaged turfgrass to grow more rapidly than usual. This scenario was very evident below the covers in the seeded areas. In most cases, less than 25% of the area below the covers contained viable turf. Since removal of the covers was difficult, normal maintenance practices such as mowing were not undertaken with normal regularity. The existing bentgrass grew to a length of inches rather than its normal mowing height of between 1/8" to 2/5". Since the natural growth habit of bentgrass is of a spreading nature, the grass returned to its natural state once regular mowing resumed and lower mowing heights were reintroduced. The visual effect of this plant strongly resembles what the layperson would consider crabgrass. The picture above illustrates this point. The long, stemmy plant is bentgrass which has gone natural, whereas the shorter turf is a combination of bentgrass and annual bluegrass in a more vertical mowing habit. This stemmy growth structure is a desirable trait for a fairway, tee, and green turf, as its "creeping" nature allows for it to rapidly fill in damage such as divots and ball marks.

Now that the fairway recovery is nearly complete and the turf is once again healthy, the golf course maintenance staff will once again resume its rigorous fairway maintenance schedule. Through repeated sweeping, verticutting, and mowing, the turf will return to a more vertical mowing habit, providing a tight lie and more visually appealing quality as you play.

Spring Tee Aerification Underway

2010-06-02T13:33:00.001-07:00

The 2010 spring core aerification of tees at NSCC is currently underway. All Blue Nine tees have been completed, as well as the Men's tees on the White Nine. The Red Nine tees will be completed, weather permitting, on Thursday 6/3. The remaining Ladie's tees on the White 9 will be completed on Friday 6/4.

All tees on the White and Red Nines will be completed as they have in the past. More specifically, the tees will be core aerified, collected, sand topdressed, swept, and fertilized. With continued warm weather, the tees should be nearly completely filled in by next week. This essential process allows us to maintain a consistent and quality teeing ground by reducing compaction and thatch, and increasing water and air infiltration. Upon the conclusion of the aerification process, the tees will be better suited to deal with warm and humid weather that will certainly appear throughout the summer months.

Since the Blue Nine tees have developed a more substantial thatch layer than their counterparts on the Red and White Nines, the NSCC golf course maintenance staff has taken a more agressive approach to counteract this problem. Not only are soft, spongy tees less desirable from a player's perspective, they may also lead to a number of agronomic problems such as mower scalping, increased susceptibility to fungal pathogens and drought stress.

Instead of simply following the normal aerification procedure of core removal/collection and topdressing, the NSCC included multiple vertical mowings to the procedure to help reduce the amount of thatch on the tees. In the case of the Blue Nine, the tees were verticut, then aerified. Instead of simply collecting the cores, the tees were again verticut an additional two times. The final two vertical mowings served two purposes. First the vertical mowing assisted in pulverizing the cores, freeing the sandy soil from the turf's thatch and roots. Additionally the vertical mowing created openings or channels for the sand to penetrate within the turf canopy to better dilute the thatch layer. Once the cores were pulverized, the organic debris was blown off of the teeing surfaces, sand was applied and swept in. In the short term, the tees may appear battered and bruised, however the benefits will be realized in firmer teeing surfaces and healthier turfgrass plants.

Blue Nine Opening Date: Wednesday, May 26

2010-05-21T11:39:00.000-07:00

The Grounds and Greens Staff is pleased to announce that the Blue Nine will open for play Wednesday, May 26th. The combination of a warm spring temperatures and numerous hours of hard work by the golf course staff will allow us to open the Blue Nine a few days ahead of schedule. The putting surfaces are on par with the Red and White Nines in terms of speed and putting quality. The fairways have also recovered extremely well in most places. Sporadically located throughout the course you will notice small areas which will require some follow-up seeding to encourage continued recovery and growth. These areas will be circled in white and designated as Ground Under Repair. We ask that you please do not hit from these areas and take a free drop according to the rules of growth. Currently, the golf course maintenance staff is in the process of fine-tuning the Blue Nine, including extensive bunker repair and edging which is pictured above.

The pictures below display the fairways as they were during seeding, and the same location as it currently exists only six weeks following. The current rain and upcoming warm temperatures should stimulate ample growth, allowing us to once again provide pristine conditions just in time for summer.

PAR4Research Auction Open

2010-05-04T09:31:00.000-07:00

For anyone interested in playing some great course throughout the state, click on the logo above. Rounds of golf at many great golfing venues are available for auction. All proceeds will be donated for turfgrass research at UW-Madison. UW supplies golf course managers throughout the state with first class information that allows us to do our jobs in the most cost effective and environmentally manner possible. Enjoy and good luck.

Deep Tine Putting Green Aerification

2010-05-04T08:53:00.000-07:00

"Why do you have to poke more holes in the greens right when they start to put well?" To say that any type of putting green aerification is detrimental to putting green quality is an understatement, however, this is a very near-sighted approach to viewing an entire putting green maintenance program. Golf course superintendents throughout the world utilize various forms of aerification to achieve a wide number of goals for their putting greens. Benefits of aerfication include, but are not limited to organic matter reduction, improved air and water infiltration, and compaction reduction. Without achieving a proper balance of the above mentioned components, putting greens will eventually fail. When developing a putting green maintenance program each golf course manager must develop a customized prescription to meet the needs of his or her golf course.

At NSCC, we will aerify the putting greens at least four times throughout the year. Fall core aerification is the most disruptive to play, requiring the greatest amount of time for turf recovery. Venting, or spiking, is almost imperceptibe immediately following and is utilized in the middle of hot and humid summers. The solid tine aerification which was completed on Monday helps to promote a healthy root system on the turfgrass plants as we prepare them to overcome summer stresses.

NSCC's greens are comprised of two layers. The top four inches of each putting green's soil profile is comprised of sand which has accumulated over the last twenty years of consistent sand topdressing. Unlike modern golf courses or courses with newly rebuilt greens, a soil layer which drains very poorly exists below the sand layer. In order to encourage a healthy root system, we must penetrate deep into this layer. Conventional core aerification does not allow us to aerify to this depth. On Monday, we used solid tines (3/8" diameter) that are ten inches long to penetrate into the underlying soil. Following tine insertion, the specialized aerifier kicks the tine backwards, fracturing the soil even more. The end result of the fracturing process is increased air space within the soil profile and compaction alleviation. This increase in air spaces allows for a healthier root system, even within the soil portion of the green profile. Without a healthy root system, the putting greens would not survive the inherent stresses that summer brings.

Following the solid tining, the putting greens were rolled, verticut in multiple directions, sand topdressed, swept, mowed, fertilized and watered. This time consuming processes will allow for quick recovery, making Monday's aerification unnoticeable in only a couple days. While putting green aerification is a short term inconvenience while playing, the long term benefits will pay off throughout the summer.

Wet End to Another Busy Week

2010-04-24T04:38:00.000-07:00

The end of a busy work week draws to a close with some much needed rain showers. Last week's cold nights, with lows in the mid to low 30's have really stunted the growth of most turf on the golf course. While the turf itself was not damaged by the frosty conditions, its growth rate decreased to almost nothing. Fortunately, the damaged areas of fairways did not see this same decrease in growth due to the covers. The covers have retained enough heat to allow the underlying turf to grow. The golf course maintenance staff spent over 100 labor hours removing the covers on the Red Nine and mowing the turf beneath. Due to the moisture from the weekend rains, the gradual rise in temperatures this week, and the accelerated rate of growth due to the maturation of the turf plants, I anticipate removing many of the covers from both the Red and White Nines. In some cases, the area of coverage may be reduced allowing the course to be played as normal. In other areas, such as 7 White, the turf has not sufficiently matured to allow for the removal of the covers. The golf course maintenance staff will continue to tweak and address the damaged areas to encourage rapid recovery. As is usually the case, some warm weather and timely rains will be our biggest asset as we look to full recovery in these areas.

In addition to mowing beneath the covers, the golf course maintenance staff continues with regularly scheduled spring maintenance. Adjusting and troubleshooting the irrigation system to ensure proper operation is critical for future turf health. The irrigation system was pressurized in late March, the earliest day in course history. Since that point, the golf course staff has been busy verifying that each sprinkler head is fully functional and operating properly. Sprinkler heads that are not turning on, not rotating, leaking, or have clogged nozzles will lead to inconsistent turf conditions in the summer. Additionally, an inefficient irrigation system leads to wasted water, a precious natural resource. The golf course maintenance staff spends many hours each spring fine tuning the system to ensure proper function and distribution uniformity.

Stump Repair Behind 2 White

2010-04-20T14:13:00.000-07:00

In continuing with the the implementation of the Ron Forse master plan, two large spruce trees were removed from behind 2 White green last winter. Following their removal, a large area without grass was exposed. Additionally, a small, artificial knoll remained between the areas where the two trees previously resided. In order to created a more naturalized look behind the green, the small mound was removed. The soil from hill was used to fill the other stump holes on the course. The golf course staff will regrade and sod the area on Wednesday.

Vertical Mowing Continues

2010-04-20T14:06:00.000-07:00

The golf course maintenance staff continued with its aggressive greens maintenance this week by vertically mowing all putting surfaces. On Maintenance Monday, All 29 putting were greens were treated in this manner. Following the verticutting, all greens were topdressed with sand, swept, and then mowed. In early spring, we verticut at a depth of 1/4 inch, while later in the season we will raise the depth to 1/8 inch or less. This labor intensive process serves multiple purposes both helps to promote new growth while removing thatch and other decaying organic matter. Additionally, the small channels created by the machine allow for the topdressing sand to more readily enter the turf canopy. The combination of verticutting and sweeping stands the turfgrass leaves upright prior to mowing. The clean cut afforded by this process provides both smoother ball roll and a healthier stand of turf. This is already the second time this process has been completed in this warmer than usual spring.

Fairway Repair Update

2010-04-13T18:20:00.000-07:00

Course conditions continue to improve following the warm temperatures and rain which we have received over the last two weeks. The recent warm tempuratures and rainfall have allowed us to begin to see the product of the many long hours the maintenance staff has logged while repairing areas damaged over the harsh winter. To date, we have seen many damaged areas respond well to the vertical mowing, fertilization, and seeding completed by the golf course maintenance staff. Areas which looked bleak only weeks ago have begun to show signs of improvement. The most severely damaged areas, those located under the covers, especially display promising signs of recovery. As you can see in the picture, the covers are serving their purpose by retaining adequate heat and moisture to foster seed germination.Areas of damaged turf without covers have seen improvement through lateral turf growth and the recovery of existing turf plants, but we have yet to see sufficient germination of the newly sewn seed. Your patience is appreciated while playing a course which contains significant portions of fairways under cover. These covers will allow us to return the course to top shape in the shortest amount of time. Once the turf has sufficiently matured and the night time temperatures are consistently over freezing, the covers will be removed.

To date the maintenance staff has focused its attention on repairing the fairways on the Red and the White nines. The overwhelming majority of initial repair work has been completed on these nines at this time. As time progresses and conditions improve, the maintenance staff will continue to revisit damaged areas for fine tuning.

In addition to our normal early-season maintenance on the golf course, the maintenance staff continues to repair the winter damage on the fairways of the Blue nine. Because these fairways are flatter, have poorer drainage, and are the lowest-lying, they have received the greatest amount of damage. This is especially true on the fairways on the 4th, 6th, and seventh holes. Significant areas of these fairways will require vertical mowing, seeding, a fertilizing, topdressing, and covering. The extent of repair is illustrated in the picture of 4 Blue. The foreground of the picture depicts areas which have been verti-cut, seeded, fertilized, and topdressed, while the background depicts the installation of the covers. Through some long days of hard work by the maintenance staff, the Blue nine will be completed by the end of the week. Our goal is to get the repair work done so that the Blue nine will be ready to play as soon as possible.

Mounds East Of 7 Red

2010-04-12T15:21:00.000-07:00

As play resumes this Spring, you will notice the new and subtle mounding to the East of 7 Red fairway. The mounds, created last fall, were constructed with the excess fill generated while installing the cart path from 3 White green to 4 White tee, the drainage spoils on the White fairways, and aerification cores from our fall green and tee aerifaction. The dry conditions in early Spring have allowed the golf course maintenance staff to grade, seed, and mulch the mounds. The mounds were seeded with a mix of native grasses and will blend into the existing naturalized areas on the course when they fill in. Once mature, these mounds will provide a natural separation from the tee box on 2 Red and the fairway on 7 Red. As the dogwoods, which currently separate the two holes, reach the end of their useful lifespan and are removed, we will be prepared for a seamless transition.

Growth Regulators

2010-04-06T08:20:00.000-07:00

Growth regulators are frequently applied to NSCC's turf throughout the growing season. As their name implies, these compounds are designed to slow the growth rate of the turf. In addition to reducing inputs such as labor and fuel, which are required in mowing, growth regulators also are a major component in our overall turf management program. On putting greens, growth regulators help to keep the grass "under control" providing for smoother ball roll and consistent green speeds. On fairways and tees, growth regulators promote the lateral growth of turf which promotes quicker recovery from damage such as divots. One of the most important assets growth regulators afford golf course managers is their ability to reduce the amount of seedheads which grasses, especially annual bluegrass (Poa annua), produce in the spring. Not only are the white seedheads unsightly, they also provide a very bumpy and inconsistent putting surface. By applying two different growth regulators at the same time, a synergistic affect is realized which can successfully suppress seedhead development. The lack of seedhead development promotes a true putting surface, as well as a healthy turf plant. Seedhead production requires a tremendous amount of energy by the turf plant which is already susceptible to many biotic and abiotic stresses. By suppressing seedhead development, we can lessen the workload of the plant. This energy savings translates into a healthier plant. The timing of this application is critical. We base our application timing on a computer generated model from Michigan State University together with our own site specific knowledge. Our first growth regulator application was made on Monday. We will follow with another application in three weeks to supplement the initial application.

Why Do You Use Covers?

2010-04-04T07:46:00.000-07:00

Turf covers are one of the key elements the NSCC golf course maintenance staff is utilizing to remediate the winter damage which can be found throughout the golf course. While the temporary covers are certainly neither aesthetically pleasing nor conducive to play, they are a great tool when combatting cool spring weather. In the Spring, especially at NSCC with its close proximity to Lake Michigan, cool temperatures are prevalent and can severely hinder turfgrass establishment. Most cool season turf grasses germinate when soil temperatures are a minimum of 55 degrees for 7 to 10 days. By using the turf covers, we are able to maintain warmer soil temperatures by trapping the heat underneath the covers. In addition to insulating the turf, the covers also aid in retaining soil moisture which is also required for turfgrass establishment. The covers provide an excellent microenvironmet for seed germination and seedling growth. The use of the covers provides an average 90-95% seed germination as apposed to 60-65% when left uncovered. Once the juvenile plants have matured and the frosty nights have ended, the covers will be removed. Please avoid walking on any covered areas. Walking on these areas with golf shoes can cause the covers to tear. Ball retrievers will be placed at the largest covered areas to allow for golfers to recover their balls. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

Winter Damage Repair Report

2010-04-04T06:48:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the wonderful weather, the golf course maintenance staff has had a very productive week. In addition to typical spring maintenance associated with preparing the course for opening, such as debris clean-up, bunker repair and raking, and stationing golf course furnishings, the maintenance team was able to complete a number of essential projects which will help to foster turf recovery from the winter damage the course received.

Greens: While the putting greens survived the winter conditions relatively well, work continued in earnest to prepare the greens for play. The putting greens have been agressively vericut in multiple directions. This vertical mowing will help to initiate new growth which will serve to both aid in recovery from the modest amount of winter damage they received, as well as to increase the rate in which last fall's aerification holes will fill in. Additionally, the greens were treated with a foliar fertilizer application and wetting agent. the combination of these products will assist the greens in retaining moisture and stimulate additional growth helping to foster an evironment conducive for recovery. Two greens , 2W and 9W, received additional work. Portions of both greens exhibited very little ability to recover without seeding. The weak portions of both these greens were seeded, sand topdressed, fertilized and covered. Once the seed germinates and the turf has adequately established to sustain the cold night temperatures, the covers will be removed.

Fairways: As mentioned in a previous blog entry and evident to anyone who was able to play the golf course over the last week, NSCC's fairways suffered extensive winter damage. The damage in fairways is the worst that I have seen in my tenure at NSSCC. The favorable weather of last week has allowed the NSCC maintenance staff to make great strides toward repairing the damage. On Monday, all fairways were fertilized in order to stimulate new growth. All damaged areas on the Red and White Nines have been agressively verticut with a tractor-mounted machince. The benefits of this practice are twofold. By creating slits in the soil, the allows for adequate seed/soil contact which is essential for establishment. Secondly the organic matter which cast to the surface aids in maintaining adequate soil moisture and warmth. While temporarily disruptive to play, this perceived mess will aid in turfgrass recovery. Following the vertical mowing, all damaged areas have been seeded by hand. Once seeded, the areas have been lightly topdressed with a custom sand/soil mix and treated with an additional starter fertlizer. Lastly, the most severely damaged areas, as well as the areas located in landing areas and around greens have been covered. Last week's wonderful weather has helped us in two ways. First, the warm and dry conditions have allowed the golf course staff to venture on the course with heavy equipment in order to complete the work. Secondly, the warm, sunny days have warmed the soil enough that we may see some seed germination soon. The quicker the seed germinates, the quicker the turf will establish, which will allow us to remove the covers and return the affected areas to play.

AN IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT FAIRWAY FIRMNESS Since we are in the process of establishing turfgrass throughout the golf course, we will be required to water more frequently than normal in Spring. Without adequate moisture, we will be unable to successfully establish the turf. Also, once the seed germinates, the juvenile plants will require adequate moisture in order to mature. Due to the turfgrass establishment process, expect the fairways to play softer than normal. Thank you for your patience in this matter.

Course Opening Schedule

2010-04-04T06:34:00.000-07:00

Below are listed the opening dates for golf holes and practice areas:

Red Nine--April 1

North Practice Tee--April 3

White Nine--April 8

Short Game Area--April 10

South Practice Tee (Grass Surface)--May 1

Practice Green--TBD

Blue Nine--TBD

NOTE: The opening date of both the Practice Green and the Blue Nine are dependent upon course conditions and turf development. The practice green receives extremely heavy traffic throughout the golfing season. Prior to opening, the putting surface must adequately recover from any lingering winter damage and be able to sustain the heavy amount of foot traffic it receives. As previously mentioned, the Blue Nine fairways sustained the greatest amount of winter damage. Large portions of many fairways must be seeded and established prior to opening.

Golf Course Condition and Opening

2010-03-19T14:10:00.000-07:00

The snow has melted and the golf season is soon approaching. At this time of the year I am frequently asked two questions: "How's the course?" and "When will we open?". As one would expect these two questions are linked together as the decision of opening the course is dependent upon the condition of the turf and soil. I will give a brief answer to the questions below.

How's the course?

Greens--Overall the greens survived the winter well, exhibiting no signs of fungal activity and minimal winter damage. Snow was removed from the greens which contained extensive ice cover (8W,9W,6B,7B,8B,9B,PG) on March 3 and 4. A few areas on these greens have exhibit signs of injury, but not to the extent that we have witnessed in the past. We will continue with our usual spring cultural practices, such as aggressive vertical mowing, and supplement with additional fertilizer in order to foster growth and recovery.
Tees--The tees are in outstanding condition following winter. I have yet to see a tee that exhibits any sign of winter damage or fungal activity.
Fairways--As is usually the case, the fairways at NSCC are most susceptible to winter damage. Because NSCC's topography is relatively flat, the potential exists that any snow melt or rain can accumulate and refreeze on low-lying fairway areas. This winter proved to be no exception. During a warm stretch in mid-January, we received .75" of rain which melted and additional 8" of snow cover. The unfrozen, standing water conditions lasted for two days before lower temperatures created sheets of ice. Over this time the water penetrated the crowns, or growing points, of the turfgrass plants. The rapid freezing damaged plant cells in the crowns. The ice cover that followed put additional stress on the damaged turfgrass plants. The amount of damage varies throughout the golf course, with the Blue nine sustaining the greatest amount of damage. The NSCC golf course maintenance staff will be repairing these areas as soon as the course dries sufficiently to allow for equipment access. Damaged areas will be seeded, fertilized, and covered to facilitate recovery. Be sure to visit to blog in the near future for an update on the repair work.

When will the golf course open?

In order to open frost must leave the ground, the soil in fairways, tees, and green must dry enough to support foot traffic without causing damage, and the greens must be growing sufficiently to survive the wear which it receives from play. Opening prematurely, can negatively impact course conditions for the remainder of the season. Due to NSCC's close proximity to Lake Michigan, the above mentioned criteria for opening will often be met at a later date than our inland neighbors. Historically, NSCC has opened around April 1.

What is the opening schedule?

The Red nine will open first.
The White nine will open second. Originally, the White nine was scheduled to open on May 1 in order to give the golf course maintenance staff the ability to fine tune last fall's reconstruction work. Fairway conditions on the Blue nine will force us to open the White nine second. All course work, including stump hole filling and seeding will be completed as soon as possible.
The Blue nine will open last. The extensive repair work required on the Blue nine will limit the playability of the fairways. Large areas of delicate seedlings that are protected by insulating covers will not be conducive for play. The opening date for the Blue nine is dependent upon the spring weather and the progressive of the repair work.
The practice range is currently open. Be sure to check with pro shop to verify this should we receive any rain.

What Do You Do In The Winter? Final Installment

2010-03-10T07:27:00.000-08:00

Recent weather trends indicate that our spring thaw has arrived. Last week's warm and sunny days have initiated the melt of 2010. The putting greens that were cleared by the golf course maintenance staff are now completely free of ice and snow. Following the current rainy stretch and predicted warm temperatures, I expect most of the golf course will be free of snow by next week. On the whole, the greens appear to be healthy. A few greens, namely 9W, 9B, and the practice green, exhibit varying degrees of winter damage. Once the course dries out and the remainder of the snow and ice melts, we will be able to better determine the condition of all putting greens and other playing surfaces. Be sure to check back next week for an updated post on course conditions.

This week, the golf course maintenance staff will put the finishing touches on winter maintenance projects. Equipment and cutting unit maintenance continues on schedule. Other staff members are close to finishing the refurbishment of all golf course accessories and furnishings. In order to provide the NSCC membership with a fresh look each year, all benches, ballwashers, waste receptacles, and tee signs are refinished annually. Each of these items must first be sanded and washed prior to painting. This essential and time consuming process is necessary so that our golf course furnishings do not detract from the natural beauty of the golf course. Also, the annual refurbishment of our on-course accessories has allowed NSCC to utilize the same equipment for almost 20 years. By extending the useful life of these accessories, the grounds staff has minimized the overall financial impact that would be required to replace these furnishings. Now, more than ever, this financial responsibility serves our club well due to the economic recession we currently face.

Ice Removal From Greens

2010-03-03T12:29:00.000-08:00

Whether to remove ice from covered greens in northern climates is never an easy decision for golf course managers. Besides being a labor intesive activity, one must first decide whether the removal of ice is warranted. In some cases, ice removal can actually physically damage the underlying turf. In the case of NSCC, further examination of the putting green turf samples removed on 2/17 revealed mostly favorable results; however, one example (9 Blue) indicated that the potential for ice damage did exist. The time that NSCC's turf can remain healthy below ice coverage had been met. Last week, golf course maintenance staff members took a detailed sample of all greens in order to ascertain the extent and depth of ice on all greens. In most cases ice coverage was minimal. A handful of greens, 8White, 9White, 9Blue, 6Blue, and 8Blue did did display extensive ice coverage. We zeroed in on these greens as our targets for ice removal. In addition, the practice green has historically proven to be susceptible to ice damage.

In order to effectively remove the ice, the weather must first cooperate. Both warmer temperatures and sunshine are necessary for ice removal. Both were predicted to be abundant this week. The process for removing ice is relatively straight forward. First, the snow must be removed from the greens. In this case, the work was completed by grounds staff using snow blowers in order to minimize turf damage. In other cases trucks and skid-steer loaders have been used, but due to the varied depths of ice and levels of coverage this was not deemed to be an option. Once the majority of snow is removed, the remaing crumbs and chunks of snow are removed by hand with shovels. Once the green is cleared of snow, a light topdressing of sand is applied. This sand is the same sand that we use throughout the growing season for topdressing with one exception. The sand used for ice removal has been dyed black. The black sand helps to attract and retain the sun's heat, increasing the rate by which the ice melts. Following the melting of the ice, the excess water and ice that remain will be removed by hand. By taking these steps, the NSCC golf course staff aims to provide the best possible conditions once the course opens. Following are pictures of the process:

Snow Removal From 9 Blue

Black Topdressing Sand

Ice Covered With Black Sand

Black Sand Application

Course Status Follow-Up

2010-02-18T10:59:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in my earlier blog entry, turfgrasses in Wisconsin are exposed to a number of different maladies throughout the winter. When the course is covered with snow, the examination of turfgrass for potential damage can be difficult. As earlier stated, ice formation can cause extensive damage on northern golf courses throughout the United States. Different species of turfgrasses maintain different levels of tolerance to ice coverage. Since we experienced a winter thaw in early January, ice was formed throughout the course at North Shore. Since there was no extreme drop in temperature during this time period, the ice formed slowly, allowing for gas exchange while the freeze took place. This "slow freeze" has allowed the plants and to release gases, which trapped below the ice, can cause turfgrass decline and even death. In order to better ascertain the health of the turf below the ice, members of the NSCC golf maintenance staff ventured on to the golf course to extract turf samples from various greens which have a history of ice accumulation. These samples have been brought into the maintenance facility where they have been planted in small contains. Aside from some slight yellowing on the leaf tips, they appear to be very healthy. Thankfully, the "smell of death" is absent. In this case, I would speculate that the slowly formed, permeable ice has actually served as an insulator against the below freezing temperatures we experienced in mid to late January.

It is important to keep in mind that we are not finished with winter yet. In fact, the turfgrass plants are most susceptible to ice and freezing damage in late winter and early spring. At this point, the plants have depleted most of their protective carbohydrate reserves and will begin to break dormancy. These succulent plants are very tender and unable to withstand a hard freeze. The NSCC golf course maintenance team will continue monitor conditions throughout the remainder of the winter and take any necessary measures to promote a healthy golf course in the spring.

Winter Course Status Update

2010-01-26T06:58:00.000-08:00

The golf course is once again visible following the recent warm temperatures and rainfall. As I have previously mentioned in earlier blog entries and newsletter articles, an insulating snow cover affords the golf course turf the best scenario for successfully surviving the winter. I have taken advantage of the recent mid-winter thaw to survey the golf course. Following I will list the primary areas of concern for winter damage along with the current status of NSCC:

Snowmold Fungi There are two types of snowmold fungi which can present problems in Wisconsin. "Pink Snowmold" prefers no snow cover and is active when the temperature is just above freezing. "Gray Snowmold" presents itself under a prolonged, dense snow cover. NSCC staff preventatively applies plant protectants each fall to discourage both types of fungi and the damage they are capable of inflicting. At this point of the winter, I not found any fungal activity on the course's greens, tees, and fairways.

Dessication This type of winter damage can most often be found on greens that are exposed to the cold, dry, winter winds. The extent of damage is dependent upon to location of the green and the length of exposure to the winter air. The most susceptible green to winter dessication is 7 White due to its elevated location. Thus far, I have not seen any areas on the course which look to have been damaged due to dessication.

Freeze-thaw Cycles These cycles are most damaging when they occur in the late winter months. Once the turfgrass plants begin to break dormancy, the tender new plants are highly susceptible to freezing. A sudden drop in temperatures following dormancy can actually rupture the plant's cell walls causing death. While we can't control the weather, the best we can do is manipulate the plant's nutrition. By timing fall fertilizer applications in a manner that allow the plants to harden off in fall, and by slowly bringing the plants out of dormancy in the spring, we can minimize the potential for damage. Since our recent thaw cycle has occurred in mid-winter, the turfgrass plants should have enough carbohydrate reserves remaining to remain viable.

Ice Cover Since even dormant turfgrass plants require both oxygen and the ability to release carbon dioxide, a prolonged, thick ice cover poses the greatest risk for winter turfgrass damage. The two predominate turfgrass species found on NSCC's greens, tees, and fairways, creeping bentgrass and annual bluegrass, are quite different in their ability to tolerate ice cover. Bentgrass can survive over 80 days of ice cover while Annual Bluegrass can be completely killed after only 40 days. It is important to note that not all ice is the same. For example if we received a couple of inches of rain on warm day, then the night time temperature dipped into the single digits, a hard, impermeable layer of ice would be formed. This type of ice presents the largest potential for turfgrass suffocation. The ice which can currently be found throughout NSCC has not been formed in this manner. Instead the ice has been formed by thawing snow, and has not been frozen by a quick freeze. Air bubbles are abundant throughout the ice, indicating that gas exchange is possible.

As you can see, the golf course is an active place in the winter, even though the plants are not actively growing. As the winter progresses, the golf course maintenance staff will continue to monitor turfgrass conditions. While all necessary preventative measures were put in place last fall, the NSCC golf course maintenance team will not hesitate to take the appropriate measures, such as physical ice removal from greens, should conditions warrant in the future.

What Do You Do In The Winter? Part 2

2010-01-20T10:45:00.000-08:00

"So, what do you guys do in the winter?" This question, as was addressed in the previous blog entry, is common among golf course superintendents who manage turf in northern climates. While it is true that the size of the maintenance staff is drastically reduced over the winter months, key staff members remain in order to complete important work that is required to provide a well-conditioned golf course. One of the areas of golf course maintenance is in the execution of proper tree management.

Performing tree maintenance in the winter is best for both the trees and the bottom line. Pruning deciduous trees in the winter promotes fast regrowth in the spring. It is also easier to see the shape of deciduous plants in the winter since their foliage is gone. Additionally, winter pruning assists in correcting disease problems withing the tree as open wounds during the warm season can attract insects which may be carrying fungal spores. While the main goal of tree maintenance at NSCC is to remove any dead or hazardous branches, the maintenance staff also takes golf course playability into account. In most cases, tree canopies are raised to allow for golf cart passage and for golfers to play a golf shot below a tree.

Managing golf course turf is much like farming in that when the weather is good there are often not enough hours in the day to get everything done. By pruning trees in the winter, the NSCC maintenance staff is able to work uninterrupted, thereby increasing efficiency and maximizing its labor dollars due to the lack of golfers on the course. As long as the ground is frozen and covered by snow, all golf course equipment is able to access the course without causing damage to the underlying turf or soil. Following pruning, all branches are hauled back to the golf course maintenance facility where they will be chipped by staff. By chipping brush in-house, we are able to maximize our spending. Instead of contracting this service out, the golf course maintenance staff stays busy on frosty or wet days by chipping the brush at the maintenance facility. The mulch created from the brush pile can be used later on the course. By recycling this material on-site, we avoid refuse removal fees and contributing unnecessary organic waste in our landfills.

What Do You Do In The Winter? Part 1

2010-01-06T11:29:00.001-08:00

Many golfers view the golf season in Wisconsin as beginning just before Memorial Day and ending soon after Labor Day. A few hearty souls are willing to brave the cold and extend the season from April to November. Rarely are we able to play meaningful golf beyond these times. Due to the seasonal nature of golf in Wisconsin, many in the golf industry are often asked the question, "So, what do you do all winter?" This question has been answered many ways by many different people. Perhaps my favorite answer has been provided by a veteran superintendent, who after growing tired of the question, simply replies, "Nothing."

While it is true that the grass no longer needs mowing as winter approaches and staff is reduced to minimal levels, there is certainly much to get done. In fact, after most golfers have left the course, much work remains before frost enters the ground and heavy snows make the course impassible. If you haven't already, take some time to review some of the earlier blog entries which highlight some of the golf course staff's late fall projects which usually don't end until mid-December.

When winter finally arrives, a large portion of the staff's talents are utilized in the area of equipment maintenance. Equipment maintenance can be broken down into two main categories, machine maintenance and cutting unit maintenance.

Well-maintained machinery is cornerstone to maintaining a golf course in top condition. The golf maintenance operation is responsible for maintaining 27 holes in superb condition on daily basis. In order to ensure that each individual piece of equipment is functioning its best each time it leaves the shop, our equipment technician must thoroughly inspect and service each all equipment multiple times throughout the year. Winter affords us the greatest opportunity to make the most comprehensive inspection which includes troubleshooting any malfunctions, ordering the necessary parts, changing all the required fluids, and performing all the necessary lubrications. This is no small order as some pieces of equipment possess engines as sophisticated as a new car and far exceed a new car's purchasing price. This task increases in scope when one considers that the core of our equipment fleet consists of 6 tractors, 6 fairway mowers, 2 rough mowers, 15 walking green and tee mowers, 10 riding green mowers, 4 sprayers, 20 golf carts, 12 heavy-duty utility vehicles and many more smaller mowers and hand held equipment such as weed whackers. Even more daunting is the fact that the equipment varies in age from 35 years old to only a year old. It goes without saying that finding a replacement clutch for a 1986 club car golf cart that was discontinued in 1993 can quickly become a time consuming headache.

Equal in importance to machine maintenance is cutting unit maintenance. NSCC employs two types of mowers to groom the course's turf. Rotary mowers, the type of mower that most of us are familiar with from our home lawns, are found on NSCC's larger rough mowers and walk-behind mowers which are used to trim around bunkers and the clubhouse lawn. These mowers are relatively easy to maintain and sharpen. The second type of mower, a reel mower, is used to trim the tightly mowed greens, tees, and fairways. These mowers are found in single reel walk behind units such as our greens mowers, as well as riding units which are comprised of between 3 and 5 reels. These mowers provide the single greatest mechanical component to turfgrass health and quality and are much more compex in their maintenance. Reel mowers are infinitely adjustable in relation to mowing height of the turfgrass. Throughout the course of the season, the height of cut can be raised and lowered depending on environmental and green speed expectations. The mowing height of greens typically remains at between 1/8 to 1/10 of an inch during the peak golf season on bentgrass putting greens. In fact, it is not uncommon for our reel technician to adjust or "tweak" the mowing height only .05" to obtain the desired affect on ball roll speed. In order to better visualize the height of cut on a putting green one must picture the thickness of two pennies stacked on top of one another.

In addition to properly setting the height of cut, our reel technician must verify that each reel maintains a sharp cutting surface. When turfgrass is cut with a dull blade or reel, the grass blade is ripped instead of cleanly cut. Torn grass blades not only give the turf a brown tinge, but also open the turf to fungal infection. Over the course of the winter each of the 105 cutting units at NSCC is thoroughly inspected and sharpened. Our reel technician uses a computerized grinder to guarantee that each reel meets our rigid stantdards. When maintaining turf at these extremely low mowing heights, it is imperative that a highly qualified technician check both the height of cut and quality of cut on a daily basis to ensure the highest quality putting surface possible.

Wild Goose Chase

2009-12-18T06:35:00.001-08:00

One of the greatest challenges the NSCC golf course maintenance staff faces each fall are the large number of Canada geese that make a stop here on their trip south. Actually, as golfers know, it's not the geese themselves that are the problem, but rather the mess they leave behind. It comes as no surprise that an adult goose is capable of dropping over a pound of excrement per day. Most golfers have had the unfortunate experience of walking down a fairway while hop-scotching around the mess that these geese leave behind. Even more frustrating than the mess is the physical damage geese can do to golf course putting greens. If left unattended, geese are capable of digging holes in greens as they make their feast. It is important to realize that golf courses provide the perfect environment for Canada geese. NSCC provides an endless buffet line of manicured turf and extensive waterways that are in an area without natural predators.

Research suggests that the most viable way to remove geese from a property is through humane harassment. Forms of harassment vary from course to course due to the location of each individual course. In more secluded areas, golf course managers are able to deploy devices called bangers which, as their name implies, emit a loud noise to scare off the geese. Due to the number of homes surrounding the club, this is not an option at NSCC. Instead, the golf course staff harasses geese through two primary methods. In peak periods of migratory activity, the automated irrigation system is set so that sprinkler heads pop on for seconds at a time at regular intervals throughout the night. This has proven to be successful in moving the geese off greens, tees, and fairways and into the rough and ponds. Throughout the entire year, Ziggy, our 3 year old Labrador, patrols the golf course in search of geese. Ziggy is especially effective in deterring the geese from establishing residency. This is critical in managing the goose population at NSCC. Once geese pair up and mate, they make their home by creating a nest and laying eggs. These resident geese prove to be a real problem as they are especially stubborn in leaving. By making multiple patrols each day, Ziggy does his best to remove the geese from the property in a humane manner without harming the geese. Recently, Ziggy passed his annual physical exam at the veterinarian. In fact, the vet remarked that Ziggy is the best conditioned animal that comes into his clinic. It sounds like success for both NSCC and Zig.

White 9 Tree Removal

2009-12-10T11:07:00.000-08:00

Following the completion of the drainage work on the White 9, the NSCC golf course maintenance staff has now turned its attention to the 2009 tree removal project. As in prior years, the project will completed in house by NSCC staff and will directly follow the master plan laid out by golf course architect Ron Forse. It is important to remember that the trees designated for removal have been selected based upon the following criteria:

Trees in poor health
Trees impeding healthy turf
Trees which provide an unfair playing environment

That being said, of the forty-one trees which are slated for removal in 2009, twenty-five are evergreen trees. There are approximately fifty additional trees that will be removed upon the completion of the White 9 project. As was the case with the Red 9 renovation, many of the trees that will be removed in the future will improve course playability by eliminating unfair lies and double hazards. In some cases trees will be replaced with bunkers and NSCC's signature roll-off areas. Additionally, the White 9 project includes the planting of twenty-five new trees which will be placed strategically throughout the course.

Coordinating a project such as this requires the proper environmental conditions. Most importantly a firm turf surface, achieved through either dry or frozen conditions, is necessary. Fortunately ,the recent cold spell has afforded us the perfect opportunity to get out on the course with the heavy tractors, stump grinders, and utility vehicles to complete the project with only minimal disruption to the surrounding turfgrass. As long as conditions remain firm and the golf course relatively snow free, the felled trees are dragged back to the golf course maintenance facility in order to be chipped. By centralizing our brush chipping operation, we are able to minimize the hauling of wood chips off of the golf course. While the wood chips provided by the project are not aesthetically pleasing enough to be used in the clubhouse's vast ornamental plantings, they are recycled and used throughout various areas on the golf course. The utilization of the chips in this manner serves to reduce our overall waste and reduces costs as well.

Greens and Tees Closed For Season

2009-12-04T08:25:00.000-08:00

What a way to end the season! Throughout the month of November we were fortunate to have had a number of uncharacteristically warm days in which to enjoy the course. Unfortunately, all good thing must come to an end--especially when it pertains to warm weather in Wisconsin.

Even though the upcoming forecast calls for snow and cold, that doesn't mean we may not have a few mild days over the winter which may tempt some of us to get out on the course again. In order to provide the membership with and opportunity to swing the sticks on these days, the course will remain open in a modified format for the winter. Since walking on greens and tees in a semi-frozen state damages the root system of the turfgrass plants, all greens and tees are now closed. The tee markers will be placed in the rough in front of the tees, and the holes will be cut in the fairways before the greens. Hitting into the putting greens is strictly prohibited. As always, please refrain from using the practice green as a short cut from one nine to another. Both the Red and Blue nines have been converted to this format.

Contour Topdressing

2009-12-04T08:03:00.000-08:00

One of the keys to successfully managing a golf course is to remain consistent with practices that are critical to the turf's health. Practices such as aerification, sand topdressing, vertical mowing, and dethatching are carried out with great regularity at NSCC to ensure that each playing surface functions at its peak level throughout the golfing season. Similarly, certain tasks must be completed prior to winter to ensure that the golf course is put in the best position possible to endure the harsh Wisconsin winter that is to come. Each year the irrigation system must be winterized, fertilizers must be applied, plant protection applications must be made to prevent winter fungal activity, and careful moisture monitoring must take place in order to ensure that the plants do not become too dry.

Perhaps unique to North Shore's winter preparation is a practice called putting green contour topdressing. Contour topdressing was developed by the 1997 Greens Committee headed by Jim Mitchell and directed by Bob Erdahl. For twelve years, the golf course maintenance staff has carefully applied a thin layer of sand (1/8 to 1/4 inch) to the same areas of the putting greens each year. Each putting green has been diagrammed to guarantee that the sand application occurs in the proper areas. Over time, the accumulation of sand in these pockets has served to provide a more undulating putting surface than previously existed. The yearly change is imperceptible to most golfers; however, the improved putting interest is most certainly evident over the course of the last twelve years.

White 9 Drainage Projects

2009-12-03T17:48:00.000-08:00

The North Shore Country Club golf course maintenance staff has concluded the White 9 drainage projects that were designated for 2009. The completion of these tasks will help improve course playability and conditioning.

At times, golfers may relate drainage projects to course accessibility, more specifically cart availability. While this is a definite advantage to installing drainage on a golf course, most turf managers look beyond cart availability to the benefits that a well-drained golf course offers the grass plants themselves. Dry conditions are preferred when managing a golf course. Simply stated, it's easier to add water through automated irrigation and hand watering, than removing excessive amounts of water following heavy rainfalls. Overly wet turf fosters an environment in which harmful turfgrass diseases can flourish. Physiological problems such as lack of oxygen in the soil, scalding, and mower scalping are common in the turf. Soil compaction also rises to the forefront, especially at a course like North Shore with its heavy clay soils. The longstanding impact that these problems bring on are a much greater problem to the course than the short term affect of not having carts.

As stated earlier, the drainage projects completed this fall focus on areas that will not be disturbed by future White 9 work. Areas where larger subsurface drainage pipes will be added, as well as low areas that will be filled have not received drainage this year. These areas will be finished in conjunction with the completion of the White 9 renovation project.

While smaller drain lines were installed in other areas, the drainage project focused primarily on the following areas:

1 White fairway near the pond
2 White fairway in the landing area
3 White fairway
5 White fairway in the landing area

White 9 Project and Drainage Work

2009-11-23T10:59:00.000-08:00

Just as location is the cornerstone to any real estate acquisition, drainage is the foundation to successful turfgrass and golf course management. A well-drained golf course lends itself to improved playability through firmer conditions and healthier turfgrass plants. One of the main points of emphasis on the comprehensive golf course renovation project designed by Ron Forse is to improve the overall drainage at NSCC. While the White 9 project will not be completed in its entirety this fall, portions of the the project have been undertaken, much of it in-house, by the NSCC golf course maintenance staff. Earlier this fall internal drainage was installed to all greens on the White 9, contours were added to the 2nd and 5th greens, four new senior tees were constructed, and the amoebic shaped tees of the White 9 were squared off to match the tees on the Red 9. Following the completion of the drainage work, the NSCC grounds staff will remove forty trees from the White 9. It is important to remember that while we will not be completing all the required drainage and tree removal this fall, all of the work completed this fall will tie into the future improvements to the white 9.

The NSCC golf course maintenance staff has prioritized the areas for drainage based upon golf course knowledge as it applies to turfgrass maintenance and course playability. The drainage will be installed only in areas which will remain undisturbed by future, "large pipe" drainage or fill areas. For example, no drainage work will be completed on 7W near the pond as this area will be filled following subsequent work, nor will drainage be installed before the approach to the green on 2W as a large pipe will be installed later.

NSCC Golf Maintenance Blog Up and Running

2009-10-22T12:28:00.000-07:00

NSCC golf course maintenance has joined the 21st century. In an effort to better communicate the art and science of greenskeeping to the membership, we will be providing an inside look at what it takes to provide a well conditioned golf course. This behind the scenes look will contain breaking news as it applies to ongoing maintenance projects and practices. Continue to stay tuned throughout the coming days in order to gain a better understanding of when and why certain maintenance practices occur. Just as the game of golf is played in an ever changing outdoor environment, my goal is in the future to provide the membership with real-time informationn regarding course playability. Stay tuned and thanks for visiting.